The political and social commentaries of a man who embraces and loves life. Politics, Economics, Civil Liberties, Freedom, Nautical events, Sports, Culture, and International affairs thrown in. I am probably best described as a "fiercely independent contrarian environmentally conscious libertarian." Just when you think you have me pigeon-holed, I'll surprise you....

Sunday, September 30, 2012

As of today, we're looking at a runaway slam-dunk for President Obama over Mitt Romney by an electoral vote of 348-190.Romney's verbal gaffes and inability to connect with average Americans has seriously hurt any chances he had to pick off important swing states. In fact, it would be fair to say that the election is being lost by Romney more than it is being won by Obama: we expect many normally-Republican voters to just sit this one out in disgust. Ironically, it was Obama who feared a stay-at-home electorate earlier in the campaign, as progressive democrats grew increasingly disappointed by the President's military and environmental policies. But Romney's penchant for embracing wealthy voters in overt and naïve ways - exacerbated by his wife's general cluelessness - has seen his poll numbers slide in almost every region of the nation.In fact, President Obama is not polling appreciably better anywhere than he did last election, or than in the last few months; rather, Romney voters have begun to desert him and have decided to stay home, vote for a third party candidate, or remain undecided.In key swing states - Florida, Ohio, Virginia, New Hampshire, and North Carolina - Obama has clearly pulled ahead. States viewed by some in the media as 'swing,' such as Colorado and Wisconsin, were never really in doubt at all and are solidly in the Blue column.In this month's edition, we also move a few more electoral votes to the Democrats: Iowa, which we had felt confident would go red, is now blue again; and Nebraska - which divides its votes based on Congressional Districts - is likely to give one vote to Obama, in spite of the Republican's successful gerrymandering of Omaha during last years' redistricting.And, we make note of three more states that are within the pollster's margins of error, but which should be reliably red: Georgia, Montana, and Arizona. We are keeping these in the Republican column for now, but if Romney continues to make these out-of-touch gaffes during the October debates, and if Obama finds a bit more mojo, the Republicans could be looking at losing even these previously safe red states.I also am going to go out on a limb to make another prediction: overall turnout will be low. Many Americans remain unenthusiastic about both candidates. While some (including yours truly) will cast their vote for a third party candidate, many will stay home. The election will be determined by degrees of disappointment, rather than degrees of enthusiasm.

Friday, August 31, 2012

As the Republican Circus winds down in Tampa and the Democratic one gets ready to roll in Charlotte, we have decided we need to make four changes in our Election prediction map since last month. The hammering Romney has taken over his taxes and the fiscal ice-water that runs in his veins was only exacerbated by the choice of Paul Ryan as Veep. Ryan's scorched-earth approach towards government programming has even normally Republican seniors sitting up to listen...and independent seniors furious. The pandering to Ryan, darling of the Tea Party, and the adoption of a platform on social issues (abortion, marriage equality) that is so conservative Ronald Reagan wouldn't have been able to abide by it, cements the GOP ticket as an image of a party captured by the lunatic right.Accordingly, we switch two states from red to blue:FLORIDA: The Senior citizen vote is critical in Florida, and the choice of Ryan was, in effect, a surrender of the Sunshine State by the Republicans. Add to that the embarrassing voiding of a GOP-lead voter suppression law by the courts, and the endorsement of President Obama by former Republican Governor (and now-Independent) Charlie Crist, who stated, " "I didn't leave the Republican Party, it left me." Momentum is clear for Obama to overcome notorious elections in Florida to take the state. Color it Blue.NEW HAMPSHIRE: Another state with a sizable retiree population that votes in its own interests. A closely watched 'swing state,' New Hampshire Democrats are energized by a Gubernatorial primary that pits two popular Democrats against each other in a contest that has been relatively upbeat and above board. The Republicans, meanwhile, are beginning to show their deep fissures, as Paul-leaning libertarians, Christian fundamentalists, and old-tyme establishment Republicans find it increasingly harder to convey a common message to the voters. We tilt this one, ever so slightly, Blue.On the other hand, there are two states we are finally resigning to the GOP:ARIZONA: It appears that in this election, in spite of the outrage among liberals, the young, Latinos, and many independent women at the Republican establishment, they do not command the votes to overcome a significant GOP registration edge. This was a state that I thought might end up in the 'swing' column, but it is clear now that it is Red, at least for the next election cycle or two.IOWA: This state has gone back and forth, but the most recent polls seem to show that the Republicans are uniting and the Democrats are growing tired and weary of this fight. It seems likely to slide back into the Red column in 2012.This gives the election to Obama by an electoral vote of 326-212.And now, the Sleeper Surprise State: GEORGIA: A Deep South state, many have simply written Georgia off as a Red Republican state like her neighbors Alabama and South Carolina. But Georgia is changing: the metropolitan Atlanta area commands a huge portion of Georgia's electorate, and these are no good old boys. In addition, the minority population of Georgia is growing exponentially: as of the 2010 census, only 56% of Georgians were non-Hispanic whites, while 60% of those under the age of one were minorities. The minority vote will factor in strongly here. Lastly, Georgia has a recent history of breaking for Democrats, such as home-state candidate Jimmy Carter in 1976 and Bill Clinton in the 1990s.The latest polls? Romney is still ahead...but only by a 3% margin. I still expect Georgia to go Red, but it will be fascinating to watch the margin of victory; with Obama having won North Carolina and Virginia last go-round, and his expected victory in Florida in 2012, it is possible that 'the Solid South' is becoming a competitive landscape..

Monday, July 30, 2012

As we enter the Nominating Convention season, I still see Obama defeating Romney by an electoral vote of 310 to 228. The two places where I am contradicting most other "experts" are New Hampshire (where I see an arrogant freshman Republican domination of the state house pulling out all the stops to frustrate student, minority, and 'liberal' voting groups), and Arizona, where I see a backlash among minorities and independents against the antics of their state GOP.

As for a state-by-state roundup of the 'swing states,' here is my analysis:

ARIZONA: Once a red state, we see a backlash happening on several
fronts: the zany antics of Sheriff Joe, efforts to define 'personhood'
at ovulation, harping on the 'birther' issue, and harsh rhetoric about
immigration should cause a perfect stew of resentment against
Republicans by Hispanics, women, young people, and independents. The Supreme Court's
elimination of three clauses of Gov. Jan Brewer's pet anti-immigrant
legislation will further energize progressives and immigrant-rights
groups to win in Arizona. Americans describing themselves as Hispanic, Native American, Black, Asian, and Racially mixed have all increased by double-digit percentages in the last 10 years, a good sign for an interracial President. We contradict the pollsters, and see
this state swinging Blue now.

IOWA: Polls are mixed, and too close to call. Iowa is tough to gauge,
and will be close: we now give the edge to the Democrats, as Republican infighting and "bad blood" between the Paul libertarians, Santorum Religious Zealots, and the Romney Establishment over stealing the Iowa caucuses have prevented the GOP from organizing a realistic state-wide campaign so far. Blue.

FLORIDA: This should be Blue, but a massive effort by Republicans in the
state to purge voting rolls of Democratic-leaning groups is almost
certain to throw the electoral votes of Florida into court - again. We
give it to the GOP - again.

NEW HAMPSHIRE: Though it went for Obama (narrowly) last time, this is a
tight state. An active Libertarian Party bid in NH that emphasizes
peace and an end to the war on drugs will hurt Obama as much as Romney;
and an increasingly organized Green Party effort will hurt Obama far
more than Romney. Given the already tight race in this state, and the brashness of a young, ascendant state GOP leadership in suppressing liberal votes, we now
give it to Romney - though we doubt he will win it with a majority of
votes.

NORTH CAROLINA: Democratic convention in Charlotte notwithstanding,
there is some Triumphalism among the religious right over the recent vote
to ban Marriage Equality in the NC Constitution. This momentum may
just carry them through the Fall. Red.

VIRGINIA: Normally a safe GOP state, especially on a state-wide basis, Virginia sided with Obama in the last election. Increasing numbers of middle-class blacks, and an in-migration of young liberals in the tidewater and Potomac regions suggest that Virginia will once again go Democratic. Three of four recent polls suggest Obama is pulling ahead...and the only poll that disagrees is the chronically pro-Republican Rasmussen poll. Count Virginia Blue.

As for the other "swing" states: We still give New Mexico,
Colorado, Nevada, and Ohio to Obama by comfortable margins (Ohio is not even close), and Indiana (won by Obama in 2008)
to Romney. We do not believe that Obama is in danger of losing
Wisconsin, in spite of an electorate tired of everybody and everything.

Saturday, June 30, 2012

We have been updating our prediction on the first of each month, and this month.....NOTHING changes. We still see Obama being re-elected by an electoral vote of 304-234. We see no changes in any states this month, as Obama's victory on health care and increased Latino organizing appear to be counterbalancing the generally poor economy.

Here's the map, with some analysis of swing states below:

ARIZONA: Once a red state, we see a backlash happening on several
fronts: the zany antics of Sheriff Joe, efforts to define 'personhood'
at ovulation, harping on the 'birther' issue, and harsh rhetoric about
immigration should cause a perfect stew of resentment against
Republicans by Hispanics, women, young people, and independents. The elimination of three clauses of Gov. Jan Brewer's pet anti-immigrant legislation will further energize progressives and immigrant-rights groups to win in Arizona. We see
this state swinging Blue now.

IOWA: Polls are mixed, and too close to call. Iowa is tough to gauge,
and will be close: we give the edge to the organizing capabilities of
the religious right combined with the pro-Romney Des Moines GOP machine.
Red.

FLORIDA: This should be Blue, but a massive effort by Republicans in the
state to purge voting rolls of Democratic-leaning groups is almost
certain to throw the electoral votes of Florida into court - again. We
give it to the GOP - again.

NEW HAMPSHIRE: Though it went for Obama (narrowly) last time, this is a
tight state. An active Libertarian Party bid in NH that emphasizes
peace and an end to the war on drugs will hurt Obama as much as Romney;
and an increasingly organized Green Party effort will hurt Obama far
more than Romney. Given the already tight race in this state, we now
give it to Romney - though we doubt he will win it with a majority of
votes.

NORTH CAROLINA: Democratic convention in Charlotte notwithstanding,
there is some Triumphalism among the religious right over the recent vote
to ban Marriage Equality in the NC Constitution. This momentum may
just carry them through the Fall.

As for the other "swing" states: We still give Virginia, New Mexico,
Colorado, Nevada, and Ohio to Obama, and Indiana (won by Obama in 2008)
to Romney. We do not believe that Obama is in danger of losing
Wisconsin, but next month's recall election may tell us more about
political organization and voter sentiment.